Improvement in self-locking clothes-pins



S. B. LUCAS. V Self-Looking Clothes-Pin.

No. 209,409. Patented Oct. 29,1878.

- Witnsses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIMEON B. LUCAS, OF HINSDALE, NE? YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SELF-LOCKING CLOTHES-PINS.

Specjfication forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,409, dated October 29, 1878; application filed February 28, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SIMEoN B. LUCAS, of Hinsdale, in the county of Gatta-raugus and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements on a Self-Locking Clothes-Pin; and 1 do hereby declare that the following description of my said invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings, forms a full, clear, and exact specification, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

This invention has special reference to a self-locking clothes-pin; and it consists in the peculiar arrangements of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter first fully set forth and described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereinbefore mentioned, which serve to illustrate my invention more fully, Figure l is an elevation, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal sectional elevation, of a self-locking clothes-pin constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 3 is a similar view of a clothes-pin as applied to a clothes-line.

A A are the two jaws of a clothes-pin. They may be made of either wood, castiron properly coated with metal not affected by moisture, or stamped tin, in a manner readily understood by any mechanic. These jaws have grooves or excisions B for the reception of the clothes I and clothes-line H, and they are beveled on the upper extremity at C, so as to be readily placed over the clothes-line, 85c.

The jaw A has a staple, D D, passing through the opposite jaw A, which staple has a bend in the middle, as shown at E, serving as a guard for a spiral spring, F, interposed between the cross-bar of the staple D D and the jaw A. The ends of this staple may be clinched on the outer side of the jaw A to prevent its being withdrawn. One or both jaws maybe notched or beveled longitudinally, as shown at H, to enable the jaws being' re'adily opened.

The construction of the clothes-pin, as above described, renders the same self-lockin g in the following manner: The pin being placed in position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the spring F presses upon the jaw A and draws both jaws toward each other. Now, if any pressure or pulling force is brought to bear upon either end of the jaws A A, such will cause them to tip or tilt slightly, and thus to wedge the jaw A 011 the parallel bars D D of the staple, and thereby to render the opening of said jaw an impossibility. I If an article is placed between the jaws, the spring F will at once cause %1e jaw A to tip, and thus lock it on said bars To open the jaws easily, nothing has to be done but to catch hold of both jaws near the point where the spiral spring acts upon jaw A, when they will readily separate.

I am aware of the patents to (1. 'Warner, No. 25,695, October 4, 1859, and NV. M. Doty, No. 77,598, May 5, 1868, and I do, therefore, not claim such as my invention; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure to me by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. A self-locking clothes-pin in which the jaw A is provided with two parallel rods, D D, upon which the jaw A slides, a spring, F, being arranged to act upon the jaws midway between said rods D D, the article tobe clamped being placed between the jaws at one extremity thereof, whereby said spring F, causing the sliding jaw to cant upon the rods,

locks the jaw, as and for the purpose speci- 2. A self-locking clothes-pin consisting of the jaw A, having the staple D D, formed with the spring-guard E in one piece, and the ends clinched upon the jaw A, the jaw A, arranged to slide upon the two rods D D, and the spring F, arranged to act upon said jaws midway between the said rods D D, the article to be clamped being placed between the jaws at one extremity thereof, whereby the said jaws are caused to cant upon said rods when holding a line, 850., between the excisions B, and thus to look upon said rods substantially in the manner as and for the purpose specified.

I11 testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have hereto set my hand and afiixed my seal in the presence of two subscribin g witnesses.

s. :e. LUCAS. n s] Attest:

MICHAEL J. STARK, FRANK HIRsoH. 

